Fairisle

[littlepinkfizz]

Just started knitting a fairisle jumper but finding it difficult to keep finding my place on the chart and its making my eyes sore and squinty.!

How do the rest of you keep your place on the pattern chart? X

You could try using one of those things that typists sometimes have - you put a document on it and it keeps it in place with a transparent ruler-type thing that will indicate the row you are on. Am I being clear? Don't really think so...You could also use highlighters to show different colours. I prefer to actually write the pattern out if it is complicated. Otherwise I chant it in my head (sad and ever so slightly weird I think).

Your friend is the highlighter, after each row, run it across the pattern to show it is complete. This will help you until you have the pattern set in your brain... no, really!

Is the chart, or a repeat of it, coloured in? I do a lot of fair isle and find it fairly straightforward because you only have to think, this row is four black three white one black three white (repeated) and you have the row just knitted to check against. It might help a bit to enlarge a bit of the pattern and attack with felt tip pens.

Thanks ladies

If I use a highlighter then it will only confuse me when I am repeating the pattern again!

Think I might try the ruler thing until I get used to fairisle . Wll no doubt be here again v soon looking for more advice!

When I knit Fair isle I photocopy the pattern and use a highlighter pen to mark off the lines I have completed.

Great idea wales thanks!
Lots if useful ideas to try out!

I put charts as PDFs on my iPad then just scroll up or down so it is the top line.

Another way is to use magnetic place markers.

Good thread- not fair isle but I'm currently doing a lace knit that is impossible to remember, has long 28st repeats and no two rows the same in a 29 row repeat... I'm using a folded bit of blank paper blu tacked on to the chart, which I move up every two rows... but my paper and blu tak are getting all scrappy... it's a nightmare!

But it will look nice

I use a bit of cardboard the width of the pattern and stick it to the pattern with two clothes pegs so that only the row that I am working on shows. Then, when that is finished I move the bit of cardboard up a row. In that way you can see what you have just done but don't get confused by what is to follow.
I also only work with dots and plain squares and write the colours in on either side.
If the pattern is very complicated I will number the rows and use a row counter.

Oh yes, and I stick the pattern to a bit of card board with blue tack.

For anyone who wants to go the high-tech route, I should have added, I use GoodReader. I make the chart on Envisionknit software on my laptop, save as PDF then open it on the iPad and read in GoodReader...

How do you do the PDF thing?. Sounds great but complicated?

Where do you get Goodreader teapot?

littlepink, you can "save as" and select PDF in a lot of programs. GoodReader is in the App Store for Apple. I think I paid about £2.69 for it, a while back. It saves all your PDFs in one place and is easy to use. You can blow up your chart to whatever size you want on your screen. I like using my iPad for knitting charts as it fits perfectly on my chair arm! Then I scroll up so the row or round I am knitting, is at the very top of the screen.

There are a couple of free, or not expensive, knitting counter apps as well which are great for keeping track of which row/round you're on!

I have a program on my laptop called Envisonknit where I can make my own original charts, or import charts, too. But that is not necessary for most folk, who just need to scan a chart in.

Great teapot thanks!